Chapter 519 - 334: Li Wei, Stay Behind

Just when Li Wei would occasionally start to think he was getting pretty rich, two people would inadvertently remind him:

You've still got a ways to go.

One of them was Anya, and the other was Elizabeth.

Li Wei suspected that even the Mellon Family themselves couldn't say for sure just how much wealth they possessed.

"Are you saying," he said, glancing at the side of the road as he drove, "that this whole row of buildings here on the Upper East Side belongs to your family?"

"Not just this row," Elizabeth said, pointing toward the passenger side. "This row, too."

"I think the Mellon Family owns over a hundred buildings on the Upper East Side," she said, sounding a little uncertain. "But I haven't looked into the specifics, because it never had anything to do with me before. It's not even really connected to my grandfather's branch of the family. You know how it is, there are just so many Mellons..."

"Alright," Li Wei paused. "I hate rich people."

"Don't say that. It's all just stuff left over from before," Elizabeth said with a smile, pointing in a direction. "Here."

The Cullinan turned a corner and stopped in front of an inconspicuous mansion on the Upper East Side.

When the Cullinan came to a stop, Li Wei and Elizabeth happened to run into the father and son duo, Timothy and Charles Mellon, along with a woman Li Wei didn't recognize—presumably Timothy's wife.

The two groups glanced at each other and, with a tacit understanding, didn't exchange greetings. Instead, they treated each other like thin air and walked toward the main door.

A doorman opened the door, and a servant guided the two groups, one after the other, into an elevator.

The elevator ride was extremely awkward. Timothy's family pressed against one side, while Li Wei and Elizabeth stuck to the other, tacitly leaving a space in the middle.

Li Wei glanced at Charles Mellon, whose complexion looked no different from a normal person's now, and suddenly asked:

"How's the rehab going, Charles Mellon? I hear blood replacement therapy is pretty painful, isn't it?"

Charles Mellon's expression changed instantly. He shot Li Wei a vicious glare and was just about to speak when—

DING-DONG. The elevator arrived. Alexander Mellon, out for a walk with his home care aide, happened to be right at the door.

Timothy Mellon quickly grabbed Charles Mellon, forcing him to shut his mouth.

"Father! Happy 81st birthday," Timothy Mellon said, walking over to hug Alexander. "Charlie... Charlie!"

"Grandfather, happy birthday," Charles Mellon could only swallow his anger for the moment, forcing a smile. "God bless you."

"Your expression makes it seem like you can't wait for me to die tomorrow," Alexander Mellon said after studying Charles Mellon's face.

"I... I'm not... Fuck!" Charles Mellon's mouth opened and closed, unsure how to explain himself.

"I was yelling at him on the way here, so he's in a bad mood," Timothy Mellon said, quickly trying to smooth things over as he presented the bag in his hands. "This is your birthday present."

"Oh, let's see what my eldest son got me," Alexander said, unwrapping Timothy's gift in front of everyone. "A watch."

"That's right, it's a Patek Philippe," Timothy Mellon said. "And it's from the Comet series, the same model Patek Philippe produced 81 years ago. Only twelve of this model, the 1545, were ever made. I acquired this one from a collector in Geneva."

"Oh," Alexander Mellon said, taking the watch and opening it for a look. "So it is."

His expression made it seem as if he were looking at a piece of bread baked 81 years ago.

"Its existence is a reminder of how many years you've lived through, and a testament to how unbelievably rich you are," Timothy Mellon said with a smile.

"Thank you for telling me," Alexander Mellon scoffed. "Otherwise, I would have been kept in the dark."

Timothy Mellon's expression instantly became a bit awkward.

He clenched and unclenched his empty palm, then forced a smile identical to the one Charles Mellon had worn.

"In any case," Alexander Mellon said, casually placing the watch on a small table by the door, "thank you. It was very thoughtful."

Timothy Mellon breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ushered his wife and son toward the living room.

Elizabeth and Li Wei also stepped forward and presented their own birthday gifts.

Li Wei's gift was unremarkable, and Alexander didn't say anything about it.

But when it was Elizabeth's turn, his expression clearly changed.

"A photo album," Alexander said, flipping through it. "What's inside? Whose pictures are these?"

"They're all pictures of you and me," Elizabeth said. "Most of them were taken over a decade ago."

"Phoenix always liked this sort of stuff—art, photography, antiques," Alexander said mockingly. "Never focused on proper business. And now his daughter doesn't give practical gifts either."

"Let me take that, sir." The home care aide tried to take the album from Alexander's hands.

But Alexander waved him off, tucking the album under his own arm as he continued walking.

Meanwhile, the million-USD Patek Philippe he had left on the table no longer held any of his interest.

Li Wei and Elizabeth went into the first drawing room and sat diagonally across from Timothy's family.

Li Wei was rather surprised to discover that the drawing room in this mansion—from the overall color palette to the style of the furniture—seemed identical to the one in that absurdly large estate on Long Island.

If it weren't for the different view outside, Li Wei would have thought he was in the same place.

Charles Mellon watched Li Wei look out the window, wanting to say something more. But after noticing his father's gaze, he forced himself to hold his tongue.

Li Wei pulled his gaze back and gave Charles Mellon a smile.

If he hadn't heard Alexander right outside the elevator doors, he wouldn't have chosen that exact moment to open his mouth. He'd done it on purpose.

The two groups stared at each other in silence, neither bothering to speak.

"Morning, assholes."

The elevator doors opened again. Alister's voice arrived before he did.

Everyone turned to look and saw that he had, of all people, that call girl Amanda with him again.

"Alister, it's Father's birthday. I don't think you should be bringing unsavory characters to attend."

Timothy Mellon was speaking to Alister, but his eyes were fixed on Li Wei.

"Sorry, Li Wei, no offense. I wasn't saying you're an unsavory character," he said.

"That's right," Li Wei nodded. "I suggest they install a scanner at the door to prevent people from bringing in drugs. What do you think, Mr. Timothy Mellon?"

"Hey! Don't drag me into this," Alister said, leaping onto the sofa and collapsing like a heap of mud. "I met a new friend recently who brought me some good stuff. Anyone want to try some?"

"Shut up, Alister," Timothy sighed. "Where's Beatrice? When is she getting here?"

"I just saw her downstairs," Alister said, raising his hand with a dead-serious expression. "I beat her to the elevator by one step. She's probably still parking."

No sooner had he spoken than the elevator doors opened for a third time, and an enraged Beatrice stormed in.

"I swear I'm going to kill you, Alister," she fumed, furious as a lioness. "You absolutely did that on purpose."

Although she had tried to tidy herself up, you could still see dust on her clothes, as if Alister had bumped into her.

"Sorry, you're the last one to arrive," Alister said, making a 'brbrbr' sound with his lips. "You lose."

Beatrice Mellon punched Alister hard on the shoulder, making him yelp in pain.

"Ow! I'm not ready for S&M yet!" he looked at Beatrice, disgruntled. "We have to set a safe word first!"

"Psycho," Beatrice said. Only after punching Alister did she notice Amanda next to him. Her gaze toward Alister grew even more disgusted. "Are you sure you took your meds?"

"Still going strong, sis, still going strong," Alister said heartlessly, rubbing his shoulder. "Where's your boyfriend? How come you didn't bring him this time?"

"He has things to do, real business," Beatrice said coolly, glancing at Amanda. "Unlike your girlfriend, who works every night."

Amanda gave an awkward laugh.

Li Wei, on the other hand, was a bit curious. During the Christmas family dinner last time, Elizabeth's aunts and uncles had managed to maintain a semblance of civility.

But now, only four months later, things had become this hostile.

He turned to look at Elizabeth, only to see she was completely unfazed by it all, and he instantly understood.

Previously, although they were all under the umbrella of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, they were each working on different things and their paths didn't cross.

Furthermore, Timothy Mellon's position as successor had seemed unshakable at the time, so Beatrice and Alister wouldn't have had any other ambitions.

But now, they were all on the same Free Port project. And although Elizabeth held the second-largest number of shares, she was from a younger generation. The actual successor would have to be chosen from among the three of them. With Timothy's status having hit rock bottom, conflict and friction between Alister, Beatrice, and the others were inevitable.

Li Wei couldn't help but glance in the direction Alexander had disappeared. 'Did he arrange it this way on purpose?'

"Lunch is ready," a maid said, arriving just in time to break the silence and awkwardness. "This way, please, everyone."

Everyone stood up, left the first drawing room, and entered the dining area.

Upon entering the dining room, Li Wei became even more certain of his theory: the layout of the room, the brand of the tableware, even the types of dishes were all identical to the ones at the Christmas dinner.

"Your family seems to have a very consistent style," he remarked casually as he pulled out a chair for Elizabeth.

"What? Oh," Elizabeth said, finally realizing what he meant. She turned her head and explained, "Everywhere my grandfather stays is decorated in a uniform style. He has a dedicated team that sets up the environment for him before he travels."

Alexander didn't seem to be a fan of things like cake. Even though it was his birthday, for him, it seemed to be just another ordinary day.

A toast, a speech, the meal, silence, the end.

After the meal, Alexander announced they would hold another meeting, as he had something to inform them of.

"I'm going to step out," Timothy's wife said to him. "I don't really like these kinds of situations."

Amanda made no move to get up until she noticed everyone's eyes on her. Only then did it click, and she stood up and left the room.

Li Wei also prepared to leave. He was an outsider, after all. It was a family matter, so it was understandable if it wasn't appropriate for him to listen in.

"Wait, Li Wei, you stay too," Alexander suddenly spoke up. "This concerns you as well."

"It concerns me?" Li Wei asked, pointing to himself.

Timothy froze for a moment, and Alister glanced at everyone.

Elizabeth was also surprised.

"Don't tell me you're going to propose to Liz?" Alister said. "Are you going to give us a surprise? Seeking our blessing?"

"If you cause any more trouble, you can get out with that who—woman you brought," Beatrice said. "Shut your mouth, Alister. This is serious."